A research association to develop hydrogen combustion engines for small mobility has been set up by Yamaha, Honda, Kawasaki and Suzuki.
The companies have received approval from the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry in Japan to form the association called HySE (Hydrogen Small mobility & Engine technology) to develop engines for applications such as motorbikes and “mini-vehicles”.
A statement from the association said: “To realise a decarbonised society, a multi-pathway strategy to address various issues in the mobility sector is necessary, rather than focusing on a single energy source. Against this backdrop, research and development targeted at commercialisation of mobility with engines powered by hydrogen - deemed a next-generation energy source - is gaining momentum.
“However, the use of hydrogen poses technical challenges, including fast flame speed and a large region of ignition, which often result in unstable combustion, and the limited fuel tank capacity in case of use in small mobility vehicles. In addressing these issues, the members of HySE are committed to conducting fundamental research, capitalising on their wealth of expertise and technologies in developing gasoline-powered engines, and aim to work together with the joint mission of establishing a design standard for small mobility’s hydrogen-powered engine, and of advancing the fundamental research endeavours in this area.”
Kenji Komatsu, chairman nominee of HySE and Yamaha’s executive officer of technical research and development centre, commented: “We are extremely pleased to announce the planned formation of the association. There are many challenges in the development of hydrogen-powered engines, but we hope to see the association’s activities advance the fundamental research in order to meet those challenges. We are committed to this endeavour with a sense of mission to preserve the use of internal combustion engines, which epitomise the long-time efforts that our predecessors have invested.”
Automotive companies in Japan have previously collaborated on development of hydrogen combustion engines. In February 2022 Toyota commissioned Yamaha to develop a 5.0 litre V8 hydrogen combustion engine, which would be a modified version of the 5.0-litre engine in the Lexus RC F luxury sport coupe.
